An energetic audience, chanting “Aye!” along to classical music, showed up in their best evening wear to see Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane Saturday night at Atlanta Symphony Hall.
Gucci, the Zone 6 hip-hop artist who helped usher in the trap music subgenre with songs like “So Icy” and “Trap House,” collaborated with Atlanta Pops Orchestra for “The Road to 1017.” The event was a musical retrospective that reimagined his graphic street tales, uncomplicated rhyme scheme and minimalist production as symphonic arrangements.
“Road to 1017″ paid homage to Gucci’s grandfather’s street address in Bessemer, Alabama. 1017 is also the name of the record label he founded in 2007. The concert was his first time in the rapper’s two-decade career he’s performed in front of a full orchestra.
Splitting the show into two acts, each lasting a half-hour, Gucci performed 18 songs that were a combination of street anthems, underground hits and guest appearances. He brought along producer Xavier “Zaytoven” Dotson, his frequent collaborator, to play keyboards as drummer Jorel “JFly” Flynn layered live percussion.
Gucci Mane came out to a half-empty room dressed in a black tuxedo with diamond jewelry and penguin dress shoes around 8:18 p.m. Atlanta Pops Orchestra conductor Michael Giel stepped onto a podium in a glittering red tuxedo jacket and Gucci told the crowd he intended to turn his highbrow concert into a trip down memory lane for fans.
Credit: Kim Evans Photography
Credit: Kim Evans Photography
“ATL, tonight is a special night. I know I’m the trap legend, but I think it’s only right to turn up for my day-ones,” he said.
He opened with the Drake-assisted “Both” and rapped the verses of his song “Go Head” with vibrant energy. He also yelled his signature catchphrases “Yeah,” “Brrrr” and “It’s Gucci” throughout the evening.
Keyshia Ka’Oir, Gucci Mane’s wife, strutted onstage during “Freaky Gurl.” Atlanta rapper Rocko joined him for “I Don’t Love Her” and “Plain Jane.”
The crowd dressed in tuxedos and gowns cheered, repeated his ad-libs and recited lyrics to songs — often louder than he did. They pulled out camera phones to capture videos and selfies during “Photo Shoot.”
Credit: Kim Evans Photography
Credit: Kim Evans Photography
Atlanta resident Shamar Knight-Justice said he appreciated the symphonic hip-hop show’s elegant dress code and set list. “Being dressed in black tie, while listening to classic Gucci with an orchestra as the backdrop, was top tier,” Knight-Justice said. “It was the perfect blend of nostalgia and inventiveness.”
The full orchestra was also hyped up as they gave Gucci’s bops and trunk-rattling Southern classics a lush makeover.
“I Think I Love Her’s” subwoofer-friendly bass line and melody were replaced by cellists and double-bassists playing aggressive accent notes. The brass section turned the bridge portion of Gucci’s playful track “Lemonade,” produced by Atlanta hitmaker Shondrae “Bangladesh” Crawford, into big-band jazz.
As the orchestra played, they nodded from side-to-side, rocking along to the rhythms with their instruments and at one point performing the “Bankhead Bounce” dance.
Credit: Kim Evans Photography
Credit: Kim Evans Photography
Following intermission, Gucci Mane changed into a black suit trimmed in white. Giel followed the rapper’s wardrobe lead and switched from red into a sparkling white jacket.
With previously empty seats now filled, Gucci opened the second half of the show with his eerie-sounding song “Bricks” before OJ da Juiceman, an artist signed to 1017 Records, joined him for “Make tha Trap Say Aye” and “Vette Pass By.”
Credit: Kim Evans Photography
Credit: Kim Evans Photography
Camille Binder, a Detroit native who’s lived in Atlanta for 30 years, saw rappers Rick Ross and Jeezy perform with orchestras at Atlanta Symphony Hall. She said symphony orchestras incorporating hip-hop into their repertoire will attract more Black audience members.
“Before those shows, going to the symphony felt like a boring field trip you didn’t want to take,” she said. “Gucci brought that Zone 6 grit to the stage.”
Later, Gucci recited his verse on his glowing hit “Wake Up in the Sky,” which features Bruno Mars and rapper Kodak Black. Quavo made a surprise appearance for his verses on “I Get the Bag” and “Slippery.”
The crowd yelled for more, so Gucci Mane threw a curve ball with “I’m a Dog,” his calypso-flavored ode to chauvinism.
Credit: Kim Evans Photography
Credit: Kim Evans Photography
“Wasted” was the evening’s highlight performance, with Atlanta Pops Orchestra turning the whimsical track into an explosion of long, slurring notes, string plucks and crescendos.
After returning to the stage for an encore performance of “First Day Out,” the Southern rapper told the crowd the symphonic show was an opportunity to give core fans an experience they would never expect.
“I love East Atlanta. I love the whole city of Atlanta. You all have seen the new and old Guwop, but I had to do something special for the dope boys like me,” he said.
Kodakk Jackson, an Atlanta native, said Gucci Mane’s performance with Atlanta Pops Orchestra is a career milestone.
“It shows his growth from a trap rapper to an artist who understands his craft,” he said. “The songs were beautifully orchestrated. His friends and supporters joining him onstage to praise him is an accomplishment. The show is a mark in his career, and it was great to see Gucci get his moment.”
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